Here we go, a few more nuggets from the recently published RIAI survey of their members on the performance of the planning system. First, how the various authorities fared, starting with the least popular (score out of a possible 10 - btw, the following scoreboard doesn't appear in this form in the RIAI's report - I personally collated the table from the information included in the report):

• About 2000 RIAI members were contacted and, of these, 400 responded. 60% of respondents were in Dublin; 61% of respondents were from offices of up to 5 people; 8% came from offices of 30 people or more; 80% of respondents were men.
• 49% of overall respondents thought applications were invalidated for minor reasons – the rate was 53% in Dublin.
• 45% overall said that local authorities generally refuses to allow pre planning meetings.
• 61% overall said that senior management staff assigned to planning applications were relocated to other authorities/sections/departments during the course of their planning application.
• 64% of Munster respondents said that inconsistent advice at pre-planning meetings resulted in unnecessary redesign because of requests for further information.
• 68% of Munster respondendets said there is a lack of real focus on planning issues until the statutory deadline approaches.
• 54 % overall said that local authorities makes unnecessary RFIs.
• 17 % overall said that local authoriites draw on the support of design specialists in arriving at its planning decisions.
• 69% overall think that planners are the source of planning delays.
• Outside of Dublin, nearly 90 % think that planning does not contribute to the improvement of the built environment.